Oprah criticized for her frivolous 'Favorite Things' list

Every weekday, PR Daily associate editor Alan Pearcy highlights the day’s most compelling stories and amusing marginalia on the Web in this, #TheDailySpin.

And you’re getting panned, and you’re getting panned, and you’re getting panned … Wait, did she say pans? It’s not likely on this year’s list—too practical.

In anticipation of Oprah Winfrey’s decision to reboot her usually popular “Favorite Things” special, the talk show queen preempted the show’s airing by releasing the list of coveted items she is set to feature. However, with Vanity Fair highlighting the giveaway’s obscure, unnecessary, and altogether dreary inventory—including items such as a $450 pedestal fan discovered during an interview with the Kardashians, a $275 sipping tequila, and yet another Josh Groban CD (I guess people still buy those)—has left the likes of Gawker questioning whether the magic is gone.

Meanwhile, Examiner.com is providing a few affordable swaps for some of Ms. Winfrey’s overpriced items.

An unreasonable item atop my list to Santa: Starbucks’ new Verismo brewing system. Perhaps summed up best by The San Francisco Egotist: “As if we don't spend enough of our monthly paychecks on your product, now you have to make it so we can simply get it at home.” Err, coffee—why can’t I quit you?

And while Starbucks may already count caffeine-addicted PR professionals’ love of its holy bean as money in the bank, the China market won’t be so easily conquered. Reports Advertising Age, despite the chain’s insatiable growth throughout the country, it struggles to define a clear coffee culture there.

Issue your employees a smartphone and a laptop and they’re likely to accomplish their respective jobs from anywhere at anytime. But what else are they doing? Inc. warns that companies footing the bill are probably paying for more than they expect.

It’s really no wonder more businesses are implementing their own social media policies. Just look at this infographic from LearnStuff.com detailing how all of our various online networks are destroying our productivity.

Destruction is an all too familiar notion for much of the East Coast, which is struggling to recover in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. While that led to a muddled and indecisive cancellation of the New York City Marathon, thousands of runners still showed up ready to give it their all, instead volunteering their time to help in relief efforts, according to The New York Times.

It’s not exactly as artistic as Baan’s image—though impressive nonetheless—but a number of amateur photogs made sure to capture all of their weirdly concocted feasts throughout the superstorm. From various hurricane cakes and bacon wraps to space food and an ironically named store-bought cookie, this gallery from BuzzFeed reveals Sandy’s various culinary offerings.

Although many of those images were captured using Instagram, the photo-sharing platform is about to find a rival in Twitter, which is poised to launch a series of filters that users can apply to images uploaded on the social network.

Of course, a mere smartphone and photo app do not a photojournalist make. HBO’s new documentary series “Witness” can attest to that. The show chronicles the frequently terrifying experiences of professional photojournalists as they report on issues such as drug trafficking, gang violence, corruption, and ethnic warfare.

With publications such as Newsweek dropping print to go all-digital, it’s a safe assumption that any future movies about journalism will look vastly different. In fact, Adweek reports that newsweeklies could be the first magazine category to die amid the print-to-digital shift.

Perhaps if print’s return on investment was better measured on social media:

Is there something you think we should include in our next edition of #TheDailySpin? Tweet me @iquotesometimes with your suggestions. Thanks in advance.